Miami-Dade Police Expose Fraud Ring with Hollywood-Style Theatrics Captured on Video

Miami – According to authorities, a fraud operation involving at least four persons in Miami-Dade County was uncovered with the use of a surveillance camera.

Lyre Cruz, Frank Marques, and Roman Alvarez were taken into custody by police on Tuesday morning, and detectives said they were attempting to locate and apprehend their accomplices.

A trio was seen lying through their teeth on surveillance footage, according to police, following a two-vehicle crash that occurred on Monday in U Park.

Marques’ 2019 Chevy Tahoe and Cruz’s 2022 GMC Sierra Denali collided near Southwest 108 Avenue and 38 Street just before 10:15 p.m. on Monday.

Police claim the footage proves the incident was staged: Cruz, 40, parked the Sierra Denali at the intersection and exited, followed by Marques, 33, and Alvarez, 60, who were passengers in the Tahoe.

According to the police report, the unidentified driver of the Tahoe crashed into the unoccupied Sierra, flipping it on its side, and setting off a series of dramatic events reminiscent of an action movie.

Cruz said that he was in the Sierra Denali moving southbound on 108 Avenue when the Tahoe suddenly struck him, according to police, while Marques contacted 911 to tell that he was driving eastward on 38 Street when he ran a stop sign and collided.

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Alvarez claimed to be a passenger in the Sierra Denali, confirming Cruz and Marques’ accounts, according to the police. Police claimed that Marques had confessed after being presented with the proof.

To “create documentation of a motor vehicle crash that was preplanned to make a motor vehicle tort claim… to be used for personal injury protection benefits through their motor vehicle insurance,” according to a detective, was the fraudsters’ stated objective.

Marques, Cruz, and Alvarez were charged with falsely reporting a crime to law enforcement, a first-degree misdemeanor, and staging an accident insurance fraud, a second-degree felony.

Detectives urged anyone with information to contact Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 regarding this or any other case.